Family: James Gandolfini Died of Heart Attack

Share this:

ROME, Italy (KTLA) — “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini died of natural causes, specifically a heart attack, a family spokesman said in a statement to the press in Rome, Italy on Friday.

The 51-year-old actor was on vacation with his 13-year-old son Michael at the time of his death.

“James came here on vacation with his family… he had a wonderful day. He visited The Vatican and had dinner at the hotel with his son awaiting the arrival of his sister,” spokesman Michael Kobold said.

“Today we received the results of the autopsy, which stated he died of a heart attack, of natural causes. The autopsy further states that nothing else was found in his system,” he said.

“We are all devastated by this loss. James was a devoted husband, a loving father of two children, a brother and cousin you could always count on. We thank you for the privacy you have afforded us during this difficult time.”

HBO publicity photo for “The Sopranos”

Gandolfini was scheduled to appear at the Taurmina Film Festival in Sicily later in the week.

He was reportedly in his hotel room when he collapsed.

Staff at the hotel broke down a bathroom door to get to him, Tiziana Rocca, the head of the Taurmina Film Festival, told CNN.

Gandolfini’s son alerted staff after his father did not answer his knocks, Rocca, who spoke by phone with Michael, said.

Ambulance staff tried to resuscitate the actor at the hotel.

Further efforts were made in the emergency room, but he was dead when he arrived, hospital officials said.

In addition to his son Michael, Gandolfini is survived by his second wife, Deborah Lin, and their 8-month-old daughter, Liliana.